What percentage of Philadelphia Public Schools graduates will go on to graduate from college? Watch the video (4:19) to find out the answer, and then here’s MY question for you:
How important is it for high school graduates to attend college to be ready to take on their future?
Given a job market flooded with unemployed college graduates and the escalating debt many carry with them, is a college degree the prerequisite for success as it was once assumed to be?
As educators, we work to develop each child’s full potential; the whole child. Why should school districts, government agencies and society as a whole sustain a public institution that provides for anything less? It’s time to give up cultural contradictions and the convenience of conundrums and make deliberate and strategic choices in the name of each child being educated as a whole child. Children are not born obsolescent. They’re resilient, full of hopes and dreams and promise. We owe them nothing less.
If we drive a hard bargain to buy a whole car, and we pay an independent inspector to ensure we buy a whole house, and we talk to lots of people before we invest in the right mobile device, why don’t we make very sure that we educate the whole child? I mean, we’re talking about our future here. I know cars and houses and mobile devices are all predestined for obsolescence. But when it comes to education, should we be looking at our children the same way?
Reposted from the Aspen Institute:
“America is at an inflection point with respect to reshaping learning, teaching, institutions and indeed how we deliver these to individuals of every age. In our country, the quality of education today will determine America’s strength in the future and help individuals secure their own prosperity.
New learning networks allow learners and teachers alike to connect directly to resources, people and activities. Teachers likewise will utilize networking for preparing classes, connecting to students and parents, and learning from and with other professionals. A new era is expanding the possibilities for inspiring, mentoring, assessing and credentialing learning for students of all ages.
We can create an education system where instead of time being the constant with learning the variable, the constant is mastery of content and the variable is time. If the opportunity for personalized learning were made available to all students – and we believe that it can be – we could realize the potential for improving academic performance for all students, substantially reducing the disparities that have long been a troubling aspect of the American educational system. This is the education every student can and should receive.”
This is a new era where there is a wealth of information, ideas and possibilities. The idea of a standard education for every child is outdated and obsolete. Children, on the other hand, need the tools and skills necessary to be relevant and engaged in the work of this new age. One size does not fit all. Individualization, personalization and many paths to success…many paths to the future…are the promise of today. Work, speak and act to support the whole child!
Standing still long enough to look behind us, it’s inspiring how far education has come in the last 500 years. And so much of the way is marked with advances in technologies. The perspective from where we stand is striking, given our focus on data and performance based on all the technologies that allow us to support learning today. But then, what’s next? In a decade? Twenty years? Thirty years? It’s up to us! Where do you want to see your professional legacy up the road ahead, long after you’re retired and reflecting on it? There are more possibilities than there are stars in the sky. Where will you leave your prints, your DNA, your mark on the future?
I guess I could have told that school district what they wanted to hear, played the game and got the job. But then what? I never would have made the difference in my career that I intended. And by sticking to my guns, I held out for opportunities where I could have impact and be true to my values and vision for technology in education. Still, I learned that just finding the right fit is not enough. No matter how great the working situation and technology advancements, that fundamental choice continued to confront me every day: to do the heavy lifting on behalf of children and their future, or to give in to the dead weight of the status quo. It’s a choice we all face – each of us – every single day.
I remember back in the day, interviewing for a Director of Technology position in my home state of Massachusetts. It was a well-to-do district right on 128 outside of Boston. Eight schools, tight budgets, excellent reputation, committed staff, dedicated leader: a pretty typical profile for the region. I was impressed in talking with the superintendent and his senor staff. But I knew my value proposition: to bring in my expertise and experience and help move the district forward. For all my accomplishments and reputation, they were in reality looking for someone to keep the district’s technology running on a shoestring. They found me an attractive candidate; I came back three times for interviews, culminating in a day visiting all the schools and building administrators and technology staff across the district. Still I was aware of the disconnect between what they wanted and what I had to offer. I pushed the envelope in the interviews and in the side conversations: I believe in the transformative potential of technology.
It finally came down to one conversation. After a very upbeat ninety minutes sharing ideas with district department heads, everyone moved on with their day and I was left to have a one-on-one with my prospective immediate supervisor. Our minds were in the same place. “Walter, how do you see the role of the Director of Technology in our district?” Without pause I responded, “To create and carry out a vision for educational and administrative technology that best serves the superintendent and his staff and most importantly, the students.” The fact that the district Director of Technology did not report directly to the superintendent was a red flag for me. Technology is too important and pervasive in a school district for the tech head to have anything less than direct access to the superintendent. I figured if he and I got the point of discussing a job offer, I would bring it up.
“So how would that work, when the superintendent has his own vision for the district?” she asked with less of a smile, more of an assertion. “Well of course, I serve at the pleasure of the superintendent. But it would be my job to advise him and provide him with the best information and professional judgment possible in forming his vision around technology.” A look of concern came across her face. “But isn’t it the job of the Technology Director to carry out the wishes of the superintendent? What happens if you disagree? Where is the line between advising and serving?” I’m sure I looked similarly concerned as she belabored the point. “I want to work in a district that values my expertise; where I am part of the superintendent’s leadership team. I would certainly carry out his wishes, but I have a responsibility to the district to push thinking around technology and deliver the very best value for its use in instruction and professional productivity.”
She leaned in over the table. “Walter you can’t just come in and expect to push an agenda. The superintendent has an excellent vision and our team is all on board in supporting it. You need to fulfill your role in supporting his programs.” I continued to diplomatically agree with her points – I certainly wasn’t disagreeing – and at the same time collegially advocate for a robust, energetic Technology Directorship. As the conversation went on, I understood this was less about the work or the superintendent and more about this proud professional who did not want some live wire reporting to her. We concluded our conversation amicably and I went on my way. I wasn’t sure of the outcome, but I was comfortable that I had conducted myself genuinely and professionally.
A week went by, and the next Monday morning I got a call from that district’s superintendent. He was still interested and offered me the job. The salary, benefits, everything was acceptable; except for my one concern. I told him that I would be interested in accepting the position if I could report directly to him. He seemed caught off guard. After an awkward pause, he said he would be glad to consider it; he would get back to me in a couple of days. But when he called back, he asked if there was any way I could work in the current reporting structure; he had a lot of hoops to jump through to get my position reclassified and approved as his direct report. In Massachusetts, even administrative positions are part of collective bargaining, and it can be difficult to make changes to positions and contracts at will. I told him I understood, but I did not feel I could be effective in the position as it was currently structured. We thanked each other, he expressed his regrets and we agreed to move on our separate ways.
I guess I could have told that school district what they wanted to hear, played the game and got the job. But then what? I never would have made the difference in my career that I intended. And by sticking to my guns, I held out for opportunities where I could have impact and be true to my values and vision for technology in education. Running technology departments in Salem and Northborough-Southborough, Massachusetts and later in Arlington, Virginia, I learned that just finding the right fit is not enough. No matter how great the working situation and technology advancements, that fundamental choice continued to confront me every day: to do the heavy lifting on behalf of children and their future, or to give in to the dead weight of the status quo. It’s a choice we all face – each of us – every single day.
I felt prompted to write this post in response to Dr. Spike Cook’s blog post, “Do We Really Want Gutsy Leaders?” in which he asked pointed questions and made important points about the realities of education leadership. I always thought if I advanced up to higher spheres of influence, I’d have a greater ability to make change. The reality is, the higher I moved up, the more time I spent addressing administrative demands and navigating pressures to conform to the institution, instead of dedicating myself to the real work that demanded my attention. I never gave into those pressures, but after a 25 year career in public education, I made the decision I wanted to spend the remainder of my career working outside the system. It has been a refreshing and invigorating change, and I am having more impact than I ever did on the inside. And I continue to hold onto my belief that, regardless of what sphere of education in which we choose to work, the more educators who stand up and speak out for what is best for children today, the more the critical mass will build, and eventually real transformation can and will take place.
For the last thirty-five years, the reforms that have been imposed on public education have cited the cost of everything but lost sight of the value education delivered. The solution is not further reform of the outdated model, but to fully transform education to where it needs to be today. It won’t happen quickly, but it will happen. Join us!
Since we cannot be certain that a world of learning will emerge, examining possible future scenarios can help us prepare for whatever future does come to pass. Picture the entirety of society as a rich learning ecosystem in which learners grow and thrive, and teachers serving as Learning Agents, coaching students through their individual learning journeys. The communal context in place to sustain personalized learning! The KnowledgeWorks Forecast 3.0 identifies five dynamics that will help transform education between now and 2025: customizable vale webs, deinstitutionalized production, democratized startups, high-fidelity living and shareable cities. The implications are both deep and profound. See the details at http://knowledgeworks.org/sites/default/files/Forecast3_0_0.pdf
Actualization 